Finger or hand attachment



v. D. BRITTINGHAM FINGER 0R HAND ATTACHMENT Filed Nov. 23. 1943 INVENTOR.

Patented Oct. 8, 1946 UNiED STATES PATENT OFFICE FINGER OR HAND ATTACHMENT Vertner D. Brittingham, Dearborn, Mich.

Application November 23, 1943, Serial No. 511,409

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a device adapted to be fitted over the individual fingers, or alternatively, the entire hand of a person engaged in outdoor pursuits, particularly certain forms of gardening, weeding, removal of suckers, tobacco bud or berry picking, corn shucking, fowl cleaning, or the like. The invention particularly contemplates a device which will serve generally as a protection for the hand or hands of a person engaged in the above-named and similar activities without impairing the utility of the hands as is the case with ordinary gloves which are sufficiently sturdy to afford any real protection. At the same time the invention also contemplates a device which deiinitely increases the utility of the fingers and hands, particularly when used in a wide range of occupations including those particularly specified.

It is the broad concept of the invention to provide an attachment adapted to be fitted over a linger of the user, or possibly a number of ngers, depending somewhat on the particular operation to be performed. The individual nger attachments, although congurated generally in a manner somewhat similar to the actual finger, will have an increased utility because of certain mechanical expedients which produce a result not possible with human iingers. It is also a concept of the invention to provide a glove on which are integrally positioned one or more of the nger attachments of ythe preferred type of the invention.

Referring now to a further and more detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a single finger attachment of the preferred form of the invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same attachment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view along the line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view along the line 4 4, Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a human hand on which is positioned a glove to which are attached a number of the individual .nger attachments.

The finger attachment which represents the preferred form of the invention has been designated generally as Il). As will be noted in Figures 1 and 2, the entire outer surface of this attachment is preferably roughened or knurled as indicated at II to assist in the gripping of objects in the various utilities to which the invention has application. This knurled surface is also useful for sanding or filing. The attachment may have the extended nail portion I2 which is adapted to perform generally although more efficiently the function of the human nail. The circumferential edge of this nail portion is preferably roughened or serrated as indicated at I3, Figure 2. This roughened edge is for the purpose of providing an improved gripping action in 0ccupations of the type of pinfeather or berry pickmg.

An important feature of the invention is the substantially fiat outwardly tapered surfaces I4 provided on the inner side of each linger. When two or more attachments are utilized as in the case of a glove the corresponding surfaces on adjoining fingers may be brought together, thereby providing a very strong grip and because of the roughened surfaces, if desired, a crushing or grinding action can be performed. VThis result can be accomplished with particular utility where three surfaces are involved, for example, those on attachments positioned on the thumb and first two fingers as shown on the glove I6 illustrated in Figure 5. The meeting of the corresponding edges of these three units provides a three-point grip which is particularly useful in occupations such as tobacco topping and suckering.

As shown in Figure 4, if desired, a recess I5 may be provided at the interior of the attachment for the insertion of the ngernail of the user. This protects the nail to some extent and also facilitates the manipulation of the nail portion I2 l of the attachment.

In the glove designated I6, Figure 5, the finger attachments are preferably secured integrally to the linger portions of the glove. However, if desired, some form of removable attachment may be provided. For most of the purposes mentioned the positioning of attachments on the thumb portion and first two finger portions of the glove is sufcien-t. However, if desired, the attachments may be positioned on all of the fingers.

The preferred material from which the attachments are constructed is plastic or light metal although any material which is suiciently strong for the purposes intended and yet not too heavy will be satisfactory. In the case of plastics it is probably easier to obtain an integral attachment with the glove fingers.

The utility of the invention will be quite apparent from what has been heretofore said. Particularly where the three-corner grip is utilized it has been found that operations, such as tobacco bud picking or corn shucking, which are exceedingly hard on the bare hands can be performed much more quickly and easily and Without any possibility of cutting or bruising the ngers. After a certain degree of practice the attachments can be manipulated almost as Well as the human ngers and for this reason comparatively delicate operations such as berry picking and feather plucking can be performed With skill and dexterity.

Having described my invention, I claim:

A finger attachment comprising an element 4 formed from hard surfaced material and adapted to be positioned over a finger of the user, said element having on the outer surface a pair of relatively large flat surfaces angularly disposed one to the other, said surfaces abutting on the ball side of the nger along substantially the center line of the finger, whereby the flat surfaces on an attachment positioned on the users thumb Will engage corresponding flat surfaces on two other similar attachments on the ngers to provide an improved gripping action.

VER'INER D. BRITTINGHAM. 

